The Best Man

Sorry folks, but Part II on Aziza is going to have to wait a few more days. Why, you might ask, is the entry getting pushed back yet again? Well, some of you may remember my friend (now my "brother") Thorn from my adventures in Battambang all the way back in September. I have kept in close touch with Thorn and even saw him again when I was in Battambang for work last month. Shanti also hung out with him when she was in Battambang for work.

Anyways, just before the last time I saw him, he informed Sister Shanti and Brother Steven that he was going to get married soon - these things happen quite quickly in Cambodia. Very exciting news indeed and when I had the chance to hang out with Thorn in Battambang last month, we discussed his fiancé and wedding plans in great detail (it sounds much more girly than it was).

The story of how he and his fiancé, Phea, met is worth recounting briefly. Phea, who lives with her family in Poipet - a town on the Thai border - was trying to call her uncle in Battambang, where Brother Thorn resides. Instead of her uncle, she got Thorn. They struck up a conversation and then proceeded to speak on the phone on a daily basis until they could finally meet. They spent several days together in Poipet, with Thorn winning over her family, as well as a short trip to Siem Reap. Phea then met Thorn's parents and all was set in motion for the parents to meet and give the go-ahead for an eventual marriage.

When I saw Thorn in February, the date for the wedding had not yet been set and he was weighing whether the wedding should be very soon - Phea's parents wanted her to be married sooner rather than later, as she had already been courted by several men (despite being only twenty), and was likely to be happiest with Thorn - or towards the end of the year and after he graduates from college and would be able to truly provide for his new wife. They decided to take the fast route and will actually spend the first eight months of their marriage apart, with Thorn finishing his studies in Battambang and Phea living with her family in Poipet (they're about two and a half hours apart). Once Thorn graduates, they will live together wherever Thorn is able to find work.

Fast forward to Wednesday. I received a text messages from my dear Brother Thorn: "Hi my brother, how are you? I'm now staying with my wife Phea. We are cooking together. Hey brother, could you please to be my best man? That would be great if you can do. Please let me know if possible. Blessing."

Me, a best man? At a traditional Khmer wedding? I promptly called Thorn back telling him how honored I was to receive the offer. What, I asked, does being the best man entail? He told me that there was not so much responsibility, but that I would have to change outfits often (the groom changes about ten times during the course of a wedding, the bride even more and the best man matches the groom). Though I am going to be late to the ceremony, which starts at 9:00am on Saturday and continues through Sunday, Thorn said this was not a problem. So, I'm going to be the best man!

I'm getting up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to catch an eight-hour bus to Poipet (which everyone says is the armpit of Cambodia - more on that when I get back). I'll be there for thirty-six hours of wedding celebrations and then it's an eight-hour bus ride back to Phnom Penh. It is sure to be an interesting, photo-worthy and blog-worthy experience.